Manning, McKie & Caution-Parker End Their Tenure on R2 School Board
COLUMBIA – With the Richland Two School District under investigation by the state’s Inspector General at the request of S.C. Governor Henry McMaster, three of the District’s majority four school board members have chosen not to run for re-election in November.
Current Board Chair James Manning, Board Secretary Amelia McKee and Board Member Cheryl Caution-Parker, all longtime board members, had not filed with the Richland County Election Commission as of noon on Monday, the deadline to do so.
Holmes, undeterred by the investigation or the increasing acrimony on the board, threw her hat in the ring, seeking a second four-year term.
The three, along with Holmes, used their majority vote to wield power over a discordant board for most of the last four years. During that time, two board members have been arrested for misconduct in conjunction with their board work, and meetings have generally become donnybrooks, with leadership frequently failing to adhere to basic parliamentary procedures when conducting meetings.
In the most recent board melee, former Board Chair Teresa Holmes accused fellow Board Member LaShonda McFadden of threatening her (Holmes’) life during the April 28 executive session. The incident was recorded – though it has never been disclosed by whom – and McFadden was arrested.
McFadden apologized to Holmes and to the school district for her actions in a public statement. She was nevertheless arrested and appeared in magistrate court last week to face her accuser before Judge Philip Newsome. McFadden pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of Disordly/Public disorderly conduct and was charged a fine. The judge suggested that McFadden could apply for an expungement.
While Manning, McKie and Caution-Parker have dropped out of the November race, there are 12 others seeking their seats as well as Holmes’ seat. The candidates are:
- Teresa Holmes
- James Mobley
- McGee Moody
- Angela Nash
- Niki Porter
- Darrel D.S. President
- Eric Rovelli
- Levi J. Smalls
- Terence F. Staley
- Joe Trapp
- Tamika Shuler Washington
- Maryann Wright
The election is set for November 8. The deadline for in-person voter registration is Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. Mail-in voter registrations must be postmarked by Oct. 11, 2022.
The election is non-partisan, and the top four vote-getters will win.